Conventional aircraft countermeasure dispenser systems (CMDS) receive inputs from various threat warning systems on an aircraft and react to these inputs by dispensing munitions, such as chaff and flares, to deter anti-aircraft missile threats. An example of a conventional CMDS is the ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser System available from Symetrics Industries of Melbourne, Fla.; as well as predecessor or other systems to the ALE-47, such as ALE-40 and ALE-50 systems. The ALE-47 Countermeasure dispensing system is commonly used for dispensing countermeasures by the United States Air Force, Navy, Marine, Army, Coast Guard and Homeland Security aircraft and helicopters. It is also used by allied Air Forces, and commercial VIP aircraft around the world. The ALE-47 CMDS is an integrated, reprogrammable, computer controlled system that employs countermeasure dispensing routines based on commands from threat warning systems. These dispensing routines are programmed by the operating command. The ALE-47 gives the aircrew a “smart” countermeasures dispensing system that allows them to optimize the countermeasures employed against antiaircraft threats. The ALE-47 is employed on a variety of airborne military platforms, including major fighters, attack, patrol, cargo, tanker and helicopter aircraft roles.
FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a conventional CMDS system that is installed on a fixed wing aircraft 110. As shown in FIG. 1A, a conventional CMDS includes multiple CMDS dispenser buckets 130 that are each configured to dispense munitions such as chaff or flares from a multi-munitions container when it is received with live munitions into the dispenser bucket 130. The dispenser buckets 130 are typically strategically installed at different external locations around the aircraft 110. The number of dispenser buckets 130 depends on both the type of aircraft and the specific role of the aircraft. For example, an average C-130H aircraft is equipped with approximately eight dispenser buckets 130 and the average P-3 Orion aircraft is equipped with approximately six dispenser buckets 130. Examples of conventional threat warning systems that may be employed to provide input to a CMDS include the APR-39 Radar Warning Receiver available from Northrup Grumman Electronic Systems of Linthicum, Md., and the AAR-47 missile warning system available from ATK Defense Electronics Systems of Clearwater Fla.
Still referring to FIG. 1A, a controller 120 is provided for controlling the programming and dispensing of munitions from each of dispensers 130. Controller 120 is a central control head that is typically located in the cockpit of the aircraft, for example on a control yoke. As shown, controller 120 is coupled by a hardwire programming data and control path 141 to a programmer unit 128, which includes a processor and memory for receiving and storing munitions firing software. Programmer unit 128 in turn is coupled to provide programming data 143 to sequencers 122 that are each coupled by a respective hardwire path to control operation of each of two respective dispenser buckets 130, as well as to controller 120. Each of sequencers 122 includes a processor configured to run software corresponding to the programming data 143 received from programmer unit 128 to control the dispenser buckets 130. In response to programming commands received across path 141 from controller 120, programmer 128 dispenses designated munitions-firing logic as software across hardware programming path 143 to each of sequencers 122, which in turn uses the designated munitions-firing logic received from programmer 128 to control the firing operation of each of its coupled dispenser buckets 130 (e.g., munitions firing sequence, munitions firing rate, number of individual munitions fired in response to each individual manual fire command entered at the controller 120, etc.) in response to commands received from the controller 120. As shown, controller 120 is coupled to communicate munitions firing commands across hardware path 140 to each of sequencers 122, each of which responds by commanding its attached dispenser buckets 130 to fire munitions from the multi-munitions containers installed in each dispenser bucket 130 during flight operations according to the designated munitions-firing software logic. Controller 120 also receives munitions identification information from each of sequencers 122 across hardware communication path 140 including number of installed unfired and unfired munitions, and type/s of currently installed munitions.
To test and maintain a CMDS, maintenance personnel must install a test box 132 into each individual dispenser bucket 130 from the exterior of the aircraft 110. Such a test box 132 is typically referred to as a countermeasures dispenser tester (CDT or CMDT), conventional examples of which include TS-4485/ALM-288 (Air Force), TS-4535/ASM-293 (Army) and S-5213/ALE (Navy) Countermeasure Dispenser Detectors available from BAE Systems of Austin, Tex. Such a conventional CDT 132 is a self-contained, battery-powered flight line tester that is used to prove aircraft readiness by performing functional checks of the CMDS that is installed on the aircraft, and replaces the AN/ALM-176 Stray Voltage Test Set, the AN/ALM-177 Dispenser Test Set, and the Flight Line Payload Simulator. Each conventional CDT 132 is contained within a chassis enclosure that replaces and simulates a multi-munitions container so that the munitions identification and firing functions of the CMDS may be tested. Each CDT 132 is equipped with connectors that interface with the munitions identification switches and firing connections of a dispenser bucket system 130 so as to allow components of the CDT 132 to communicate with a given sequencer 122 in a manner that simulates installation and firing of actual munitions of a multi-munitions container installed into dispenser bucket 130.
FIG. 1B illustrates a munitions cavity 129 of a conventional dispenser bucket system 130 from which a multi-munitions container 135 is being removed in the direction of the arrows. Also shown is a conventional CDT 132 ready for installation in place of munitions container 135. As shown, munitions container 135 includes thirty munitions compartments 190. The back wall of each of thirty munitions compartments 190 includes a pair of electrical firing contacts 192 and 194 that are provided for interfacing with corresponding electrical firing contacts on a respective individual munitions (not shown) inserted within the compartment 190, and that transmit a fire command to the individual installed munitions to cause it to ignite and deploy from its compartment 190. Sequencers 122 and/or other components of the conventional CMDS system may be configured to use electrical continuity-measurement signals transmitted through electrical firing contacts 192 and 194 and firing contacts 149 and 151 of dispenser bucket system 130 to sense whether each munitions compartment contains an unfired or fired munition, or whether each munitions compartment 190 is empty, i.e., by measuring electrical continuity across firing contacts 149 and 151, i.e., an electrically closed (e.g., shorted) pair of given firing contacts 192 and 194 indicating the presence of an unfired munition in a corresponding munitions compartment 190, and an electrically open pair of given firing contacts 192 and 194 indicating the absence or fired condition of a munition in a corresponding munitions compartment 190.
As further shown in FIG. 1B, the interior back wall of dispenser bucket 130 is a breech (contact) plate that includes thirty pairs of breech plate firing contacts 149 and corresponding breech plate spring type ground contacts 151 that are arranged and configured to mate with thirty corresponding pairs of contacts (not shown) provided on the rear surface of munitions container 135 in order to transmit fire command signals to each of fire electrical contacts 194 of dispenser bucket system 130 so as to allow hardwire munitions firing signals to be transmitted to munitions container 135 via hardwire communication path from a sequencer 122 of the CMDS. Also shown are six recessed two-position payload identification and magazine presence switches 136 (i.e., in or out spring-loaded depressable toggle switches) that are configured for respectively receiving up to six corresponding aligned payload type and presence coding posts 199 that protrude from the rear side of munitions container 135 to depress a corresponding one of the switches 136. In this regard, the type or combinations of types of munitions loaded into munitions compartments 190 of a given multi-munitions container 135 may be indicated by the pattern (i.e., number and identity) of fixed posts 199 that are selected to protrude to depress one or more switches 136 when munitions container 135 is inserted into dispenser bucket system 130 to allow munitions identification information from munitions container 135 for each of the munitions currently loaded in the compartments 190 of munitions container 135 to be provided and transmitted across a hardwire communication path to controller 120 via sequencer 122 in response to a separate signal provided to each switch 136 from sequencer 122.
FIG. 1C illustrates a conventional CDT 132 in position to be installed backside first into the cavity 129 of dispenser bucket system 130 of FIG. 1C in the direction of the arrows. As shown, backside of chassis enclosure of CDT 132 includes a breech plate adapter 191 that has thirty protruding pin-type firing contacts 161 that are arranged and configured to mate with respective breech plate firing contacts 149 of dispenser bucket system 130, and thirty corresponding ring type ground contacts 163 that are arranged and configured to mate with respective breech plate spring type ground contacts 151 of dispenser bucket system 130. When so mated, contacts of CDT 132 and dispenser bucket system 130 transmit munitions firing signals and continuity measurement signals to CDT 132 from dispenser bucket system 130 that have been received from a sequencer 122 of a CMDS. Conventional CDT 132 also includes main electronics circuitry described further below, and a battery compartment block 193 that houses four 1.5 Volt “D” size batteries which provide the CDT 132 with electrical power. A face plate 133 with a control panel is provided on the front side of conventional CDT 132 as shown in FIG. 1B. The CDT control panel 133 includes various CDT controls and an LCD display 195 as further shown in FIG. 1D.
As shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, conventional CDT 132 is also provided with manually displaceable payload type and presence coding plunger pins 155 (labeled “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E” and “F”) that are configured to be used to selectably press and manipulate corresponding recessed payload identification and magazine presence switches 136 in “in” or “out” condition when CDT 132 is received within dispenser bucket 130 in order to allow a user to manually displace pins 155 to simulate a specific type/identity of munitions payload and magazine presence, which is a firing interlock condition for the CMDS system. Each of plunger pins 155 may be manually depressed and rotated to depress and hold a corresponding switch 136 in an “in” position. Sequencer 122 determines the “in” or “out” position of each given switch 136 by transmitting an individual signal to each switch 136 and sensing the response from the given switch 136. Continuity (open or short) between each pair of CDT firing contacts 160 and 161 may be controlled by manual user input to CDT control panel 133 to simulate presence or absence of unfired munitions in each of munitions compartments 190, and the resulting continuity between each pair of contacts 192 and 194 then measured by electrical continuity-measurement signals provided by sequencer 122 via dispenser bucket contacts 149 and 151. Fastening pins 197 are provided for attaching/securing CDT 132 to the breech (contact) plate of dispenser bucket system 130 in the same way multi-munitions container 135 is attached by fasteners 197 to the breech (contact) plate of dispenser bucket system 130.
Each conventional CDT 132 also includes memory and a processor that executes software and controls operation of the CDT 132, as well as a manual user interface in the form of manually activated input/output controls and a local display provided on the face plate of the CDT 132 that allow a technician to locally interact with the CDT 132 to control its modes of operation, as well as to observe and obtain diagnostic data reflecting operation of the dispenser bucket 130 to which it is attached. Selectable modes of operation for CDT 132 are built-in test “BIT” (when not installed in a dispenser bucket system 130), stray voltage “S.V.” test (when installed in a dispenser bucket system 130), fire test, misfire detection and correction, jettison (i.e., all munitions fired). Diagnostic data that is collected by the test box is count, timing and numbering of valid fire pulses, limiting of dual squib fire pulses, bad ground or contact spring, no fire positions. FIG. 1D illustrates manual user interface feature of the face plate 133 of a conventional CDT 132.
A typical CDT unit 132 performs a number of different functions to test operation of a countermeasure dispenser bucket into which it is installed. For example, a typical CDT 132 tests the following modes of operation for a countermeasure dispenser bucket 130: stray voltage test, built in test (i.e., stand-alone built in test routine that may be initiated to test CDT 132 operation and display when CDT 132 either installed or not installed in a CMDS dispenser bucket 130), munitions fire test, munitions jettison test, munitions count, and misfire detection. A typical CDT 132 collects the following data for diagnosis of a countermeasure dispenser bucket: count of valid fire pulses, limiter of dual squib fire pulses, bad ground of contact spring, no fire positions, and sequence of fired positions. A maintenance technician controls testing of each of the countermeasure dispenser buckets installed on an aircraft by entering operational commands for each dispenser bucket into the controller 120.
Functionality checks of a conventional CMDS using CDTs must be manually controlled and monitored throughout the test, and conducting a CMDS functional check requires the mode or settings on each individual CDT to be manually changed throughout the duration of the test. In order to change the operational mode or function of conventional CDTs (e.g., such as changing from a stray voltage check to a fire test for each dispenser bucket), or to review the data collected by each given CDT for its respective dispenser bucket (e.g., such as the fire count data), a maintenance technician must exit the aircraft, and walk around the airplane to each individual CDT to collect test data and/or to physically change the test mode settings at each CDT every time a different type of test is to be performed on each dispenser bucket system. In a typical case involving an aircraft with multiple countermeasure dispenser buckets (e.g., six, eight, or more dispenser buckets) that is to be tested in multiple modes (e.g., such as flare, chaff, and/or customized O1 and O2 settings of the ALE-47 system that can be used for other types of munitions or a monition mixes) a technician must travel back and forth between the interior to the exterior of the aircraft multiple times, which requires a significant amount of time and effort. The constant travel back and forth between each individual CDTs and the flight deck to change switch settings and check results makes testing a CMDS such as an AN/ALE-47 system a tedious and long process. Accordingly, two to three experienced technicians are normally employed to test the multiple dispenser buckets of a countermeasure dispenser system using multiple CDTs that are each installed into a respective countermeasure dispenser bucket. This allows one technician to stay in the cockpit of the aircraft monitoring and manipulating the countermeasure system control head while one or two other technicians travel around the aircraft to each CDT to physically change the different CDT testing modes and to record the data collected from each CDT for each and every test.
Using a two technician crew, such a process normally takes approximately three hours to complete a full CMDS functional check for a given aircraft having eight dispenser buckets, such as a C130H. This translates to six man-hours per aircraft to perform a functional check, which is then multiplied by the number of individual aircraft having CMDS to be tested. The total time and effort required to maintain and achieve CMDS system operability for a number of aircraft is further increased by the number of aircraft requiring CMDS operational checkout prior to loading magazines or troubleshooting, resulting in a substantial number of man-hours and effort required to maintain the ALE-47 systems for a number of aircraft. This time and effort is especially significant during wartime scenarios where CDTs are used before loading chaff or flares into magazines of a CMDS before each and every mission flight, potentially resulting in a six-man hour CMDS operation check prior to each flight.